Saturday, June 30, 2018

End of June 2018 Write-Up

June 2018 may go down as one of the greatest, most eventful months in hip-hop history.  We got new albums from Kanye West and Drake.  G.O.O.D. Music saw five straight releases.  XXXTentacion was shot and killed, which shook the hip-hop world.  Pusha T and Drake had beef.  Needless to say, this was the most entertaining month of the year.  Today, I'm gonna rank all 10 albums I listened to as well as my 10 favorite songs of the month.  By the way, any albums that have either gotten better or worse with further listening will have a revised score to ease the confusion of albums that may have lower scores and are ranked higher than albums with higher scores.

Albums


10) Jay Rock - Redemption

Score: 5/10
Revised Score: 3/10

Man, was this album disappointing.  The fact that Jay Rock was trying to go for mainstream appeal wasn't what made this album bad.  It was the fact that he wasn't being subtle and that it seemed like he wasn't having fun with it.  "King's Dead," one of my favorite tracks on the Black Panther Soundtrack, was stripped of everything that was enjoyable.  Even the good tracks have no replayability value.  It's not even close to the worst album of 2018 but is certainly the worst in a month where we got good, quality albums.

Singles
King's Dead - feat. Future [Not as good as the original]
WIN [Not great but phenomenal in comparison to the trap songs here]
The Bloodiest [An actually great single]

Best Tracks
ES Tales
OSOM - feat. J. Cole
Broke +-

Worst Track
Tap Out - feat. Jeremih



9) The Carters - EVERYTHING IS LOVE

Score: 4/10

I don't hate this album because it still has some redeemable aspects, but a Beyonce and Jay-Z album has the potential to be way better than this.  Most of the album was very forgettable and aggressively average.  The only times this album shined was on the Pharrell-produced tracks (Apeshit, Nice).  Another reason why I wasn't a fan of this album was that I felt like the tracks weren't shared evenly between the two.  It's especially disappointing when you look at how great their last albums were.

Best Tracks
APESHIT
NICE - feat. Pharrell Williams
FRIENDS

Worst Track
HEARD ABOUT US



8) Kanye West - ye

Score: 3/10
Revised Score: 5/10

There were many mistakes I made in my initial review and opinions that are different now.  I didn't like this album on my first listen and I still think this is Kanye's weakest record.  However, this isn't a terrible album.  As much of an inconsistent and rushed mess as this album is, I can appreciate that Kanye was trying to go for something different and go at a more personal angle.  The problem is that if Kanye actually took his time with this album, it would have been amazing.  This is the only one of these G.O.O.D. Music albums that should be longer than 7 tracks.

Best Tracks
Yikes
Ghost Town - feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR x Kid Cudi x 070 Shake
Violent Crimes - feat. 070 Shake x Ty Dolla $ign

Worst Track
All Mine - feat. Ant Clemons x Ty Dolla $ign



7) Wifisfuneral - Ethernet

Score: 6/10

I didn't hate this album, but it just felt so average and could have been much better given previous efforts.  Releasing almost half the project as singles beforehand didn't really help either.  Wifi can rap, but he needs to pick better beats.  There weren't many replayable tracks and there weren't as many standouts as his previous project Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Singles
25 Lighters [is okay]
Genesis [pretty good]
Knots - feat. Jay Critch [it's decent]
LilSkiesFuneral - feat. Lil Skies [meh]
Juveniles - feat. YBN Nahmir [something different, which is always great]

Best Tracks
IMVU
Every Fucking Pill In the World - feat. UnoTheActivist
Connection

Worst Track
Don't Touch Me - feat. KEY



6) Freddie Gibbs - Freddie

Score: 7/10
Revised Score: 6/10

This album was a short, fun listen.  However, the songs themselves aren't songs that I would consider anywhere near my favorites and songs that I don't see myself replaying for long.  I do love Freddie Gibbs' energy and I think his lyrics are above average.  I also liked the production from Kenny Beats throughout the album.  However, It's really not great or anywhere near Gibbs' best.

Best Tracks
Weight
Automatic
Death Row - feat. 03 Greedo
Set Set

Worst Track
2 Legit



5) Future (& Various Artists) - SUPERFLY (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Score: 7/10

This is basically a Future album but it doesn't feel like one.  That's not a bad thing because it does something different and executes it very well.  It felt like there was more soul being put into it.  It may not have as many standout tracks as Future's previous works but it's still an interesting listen that I would recommend to others.

Singles
Future feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR - No Shame [not good]
Future - Walk On Minks [Future and Zaytoven always produce heat together]
Khalid feat. H.E.R. - This Way [Always love hearing Khalid sing]
Future feat. Yung Bans - Bag [Love this song]

Best Tracks
Future feat. 21 Savage - What's Up With That
Future feat. Young Thug - Tie My Shoes
Miguel - R.A.N.

Worst Track
Future feat. Young Thug - Show My Chain Some Love



4) Teyana Taylor - K.T.S.E.

Score: 6/10
Revised Score: 7/10

I didn't have much to take away from my first listen, but it does get way better with further listens.  Teyana Taylor clearly pours her heart into the mic as she belts out every note on this album.  Her voice is a joy to listen to and it goes perfectly with Kanye's production.  I was wrong with it being nothing more than an above average R&B record.  It's one of the best R&B records of 2018.

Best Tracks
Hurry - feat. Kanye West
3Way - feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Rose In Harlem

Worst Track
WTP - feat. Mykki Blanco



3) Nas - NASIR

Score: 9/10
Revised Score: 7 or 8/10

I don't like this album as much with further listening but that doesn't mean it's a bad or even average album.  It's a great album with some great messages.  Yes, Nas did lose a step when it comes to his lyrics and is now spreading anti-vaccination messages but this album still had some great tracks and some phenomenal Kanye production.  Also, "Cops Shot the Kid" is one of the most important tracks of this year.

Best Tracks
Cops Shot the Kid - feat. Kanye West
everything - feat. The-Dream x Kanye West
Simple Things

Worst Track
Not For Radio - feat. 070 Shake x Puff Daddy



2) Drake - Scorpion

Score: 8/10

I've been seeing a lot of criticism for this album and I get it.  It's pretty long and does have flaws.  However, I love this album.  It felt more consistent than Drake's previous two releases and felt more like it had a purpose.  Sure, the standout tracks on this album may not be as good as the standout tracks on Views and More Life, but those two albums have more low points.  It's one of my favorites this year.

Singles
God's Plan [Great song, very catchy]
I'm Upset [Mediocre]
Nice For What [Amazing]

Best Tracks
Nonstop
Emotionless
Talk Up - feat. Jay-Z
Summer Games
Jaded
Blue Tint

Worst Track
Ratchet Happy Birthday



1) Kids See Ghosts - KIDS SEE GHOSTS

Score: 8/10
Revised Score: Maybe a 9

This album is fantastic.  If I were to describe it, it's like a feeling.  Kanye West and Kid Cudi take us on a psychedelic trip into their minds and get personal over some stellar production.  This album is such a vibe all the way through.  This project has some of Kid Cudi's best rapping in years.  It's easily my favorite of the G.O.O.D. Music summer albums.

Best Tracks
Fire
4th Dimension - feat. Louis Prima
Reborn

Worst Track
Feel the Love - feat. Pusha T



Songs


10) Kids See Ghosts - Fire

I'm not a fan of Kid Cudi doing rock music.  If you haven't heard Speeding Bullet 2 Heaven, I'd suggest you keep it that way.  However, Kid Cudi meshes well with the production and performs one of his best verses on this project.  My favorite part was Cudi's hook, which should have been in the song more often.



9) Kanye West feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR x Kid Cudi x 070 Shake - Ghost Town

As hard as it was for me to get into this album, one of the tracks that I found myself liking more and more was this one.  I was a little iffy on this song at first but it ended up growing on me.  Kid Cudi's short chorus went from annoying to endearing.  070 Shake's outro went from long and tacky to surreal and beautiful.  One thing I haven't changed my opinion on is Kanye's singing, which is the best it ever sounded on this track.



8) 88rising feat. Joji x Rich Brian x AUGUST 08 x Higher Brothers - Midsummer Madness

This song is an absolute summer jam.  Rich Brian and AUGUST 08 provide great production and verses.  Joji belts out an incredible chorus and steals the show.  Higher Brothers also made a great contribution.  This song is heavily underrated as a "Song of the Summer" contender.



7) Mac Miller - Programs

It's unfortunate that this song dropped at the same time as Pusha T's diss track.  This is one of my favorite Mac Miller songs in a while.  On this song, Mac Miller raps over trap production, and what makes this song so great is that Mac doesn't sacrifice any of his qualities to go for a modern approach.



6) Nas - Simple Things

This song was an amazing way to close NASIR.  Kanye West and Mike Dean lay down a fantastic beat and Nas raps about being grateful for the little things in life.  It's not as powerful as "Cops Shot the Kid," but this track is just so wholesome that I can't help but love this more.



5) The Carters - APESHIT

I've explained at length why I love this track so much.  The production from Pharrell, the lavish aesthetic, Beyonce having fun with some triplet flows, and Jay spitting some heat are the elements that make this song so great,



4) Future feat. Yung Bans - Bag

This song is amazing.  The production is beautiful.  Yung Bans provides a catchy hook and delivers a solid verse.  He and Future have some great chemistry on this track.  Honestly, this is one of my favorite Future tracks in recent memory.



3) Drake - Nonstop

This was my favorite track on Scorpion.  No ID and Tay Keith provide one of the best beats Drake has ever rapped over.  The sample used for the hook is very hard and exciting.  Drake oozed confidence in his verses.  This is a certified banger and one of my favorite recent Drake tracks.



2) The Carters feat. Pharrell Williams - NICE

This was my favorite track on EVERYTHING IS LOVE.  Pharrell's production is incredible and he also provides a short, solid verse.  This was one of the few times I found Beyonce's rapping tolerable and Jay opened up with a great verse of his own.  The hook, which is sung by both Beyonce and Pharrell, is also amazing even with its simplicity.  Why didn't Pharrell just produce the whole album?



1) Kids See Ghosts - Reborn

This track is absolutely beautiful.  The song reminds me of one of my favorite Cudi tracks, "Pursuit of Happiness."  Kanye and Cudi both get personal in their verses and come to terms with themselves and find their inner peace.  This is the "Get Your Shit Together" anthem of 2018 and is by far the best track on any G.O.O.D. Music album this summer.


Well, that's a wrap for June.  To start July, I will be putting out my lists of the best and worst albums and songs halfway through the year.  I'll start it off with my Worst Songs list tomorrow.
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